OH: HealthLine named 'Best BRT in USA'

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) presented the award for the HealthLine to Joseph Calabrese, CEO and general manager, RTA, as well as to Mayor Frank Jackson, city of Cleveland, for its support of the project, on April 16.

Photo credit: Greater Cleveland RTA

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is proud to receive a Silver rating for the HealthLine - the highest ranking of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System in United States.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is proud to receive a Silver rating for the HealthLine - the highest ranking of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System in United States.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) presented the award for the HealthLine to Joseph Calabrese, CEO and general manager, RTA, as well as to Mayor Frank Jackson, city of Cleveland, for its support of the project, on April 16.

“The HealthLine is an example of how BRT can help to revitalize city centers, speed commutes, improve air quality, and leverage investment and development near transit, as we've seen with Cleveland,” said Walter Hook, ITDP CEO. “We consider the HealthLine to be a best practice for BRT in the US, and our hope is that it encourages other US cities to adopt this cutting-edge form of mass transit.”

Former Sen. George Voinovich supported this project from his many years in Cleveland and served as its champion.

“It is a credit to the dedicated staff at RTA and the city of Cleveland that the HealthLine has been rated by the BRT Standard as the highest-quality bus rapid transit corridor in the United States,” Voinovich said. “The HealthLine has not only dramatically improved transportation options from downtown to University Circle, it's also been a catalyst for nearly six billion dollars of real estate investment along Euclid Avenue and is contributing a great deal toward revitalizing the city.”

Despite the increasing prevalence, prominence andsuccess of systems like the HealthLine, many people remain unaware of the benefits, as BRT provides service typically associated with metro and subway systems.

“The HealthLine is rail-like in that it is frequent and easy. Customers pay off board, they enter and exit from several doors, the platforms are elevated, there is less waiting in line and more traveling time; all at a fraction of the cost of rail,” Calabrese said.

The HealthLine was completed in 2008 and cost approximately $200 million. Four million RTA customers ride the HealthLine annually.